Vacuum cleaner wand connector and detacher



Feb. 9, 1960 w. E. DAVIDSON 2,923,960 VACUUM CLEANER WAND CONNECTOR ANDDETACHER Filed Nov. 15, 1957 /77/ /7/?/ [ma/27 I 021 /0 50 VACUUMCLEANER WAND CONNECTOR AND DETACHER William E. Davidson, Tyler, Tex.,assignor to General Electric Company, a corporation of New York Thisinvention relates to vacuum cleaners, and particularly to mobile vacuumcleaners having means for pushing or pulling them about over a floorsurface.

The vacuum cleaner art recently has stressed mobility, and mostcontemporaneous vacuum cleaners are equipped With means for moving themabout over floor surfaces. In order to maneuver mobile vacuum cleaners,some advanced designs utilize the rigid vacuum cleaner wand, which isnormally provided with vacuum cleaners, as a pushing or pulling handle,and include means for effecting temporary coupling of the wand to thevacuum cleaner casing in some mannerin order to effect a temporarypushing handle. In those cases where the wand is rigidly coupled to thevacuum cleaner casing to effect the temporary pushing handle, it isnormally necessary to exert some effort to couple and uncouple the wandfrom the vacuum cleaner casing, and normally requires the user to stoopor bend to effect coupling and uncoupling.

It is an object of this invention to provide an improved mobile vacuumcleaner which includes a wand connector and detacher, i.e., means foreffecting a positive coupling between the vacuum cleaner casing and thewand, and

for facilitating uncoupling and coupling of these parts withoutrequiring the user to exert much effort or stoop.

The object of the invention is accomplished in one form by providing ina mobile vacuum cleaner, a wand con nector and detacher comprising apivotal wand receiving socket and a spaced cam surface which arepositioned relative to each other so as to cooperate with the wand toprovide for effortless coupling and uncoupling of the wand and the wandreceiving socket.

Other objects and further details of that which I believe to be noveland my invention will be clear from the following description and claimstaken with the accompanying drawing wherein:

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary side elevational view of a mobile vacuum cleanerincorporating the instant invention;

Fig. 2 is a rear elevational view thereof;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary side elevational view of the wand connector anddetacher illustrated in an enlarged manner;

Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 3, but showing a portion of the wandand the wand receiving socket in section;

Fig. 5 is a sectional view taken on line 5-5 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 6 is a view similar to Fig. 1, but showing the wand removed fromthe wand receiving socket and having a vacuum cleaning tool attachedthereto for use in cleaning a floor surface.

In the drawing, the wand connector and detacher is illustrated as beingincorporated in a mobile vacuum cleaner having a casing 10 for housingconventional, internal, vacuum cleaning structure, wheels 12 forsupporting the casing and for moving it about over the floor surface S,the flexible hose 14, and the rigid wand 16, which is connected to theflexible hose at their unshown ends in a conventional manner. Beforedescribing the wand connector and detacher in detail, it is desired topoint out that the precise form of vacuum cleaner casing illustrated isnot a vital element of the invention, and that other forms, such as, forexample, a large cylindrical casing which is supported on a pair oflarge rotatable wheels, one at each end of the casing, may be utilized;and that the illustrated casing is merely exemplary of one type ofeasing with which the invention may be utilized.

The wand 16, as pointed out above, is connected at one of its ends tothe flexible hose 14 in a conventional manner; at its other eud,'thewand includes latching structure for either securing a vacuum cleaningtool to the wand or for coupling the wand to the wand connector anddetacher to effect a temporary pushing handle. It should be understoodthat in the former instance, the vacuum cleaner is in condition tovacuum clean in the normal manner, and in the latter instance, thevacuum cleaner is in condition for being moved about over a floorsurface.

The wand latching structure, which can best be seen in Fig. 4, includesan elongated latch spring 18, which is rigidly secured at one of itsends 20 to the inner surface of the wand by conventional securing means,such as the riveted construction illustrated, which supports a radiallyoutwardly projecting latch button 22 intermediate its ends which extendsthrough an opening 24 in the wand to the exterior thereof, and supportsnear its other end, which is free, a radially outwardly projecting latch26, which extends through a second opening 28 in the wand. It will beunderstood that the latch 26 is normally positioned to extend throughthe opening 28 to the exterior of the wand, but is adapted to beresiliently retracted within the confines of the wand, either by havingthe latch button 22 depressed or by having the latch 26 depressed.

The wand connector and detacher comprises a wand receiving socket 30,which is generally cylindrical and includes a mounting portion 32 forpivotally securing 'the socket to the bracket 34, which is rigidlysecured to the generally horizontal platform 36 that is formed on thecasing 10. As can best be seen in Fig. 5, the bracket 34 comprises apair of upstanding ears 38 which includes apertures 40 which are adaptedto be aligned with the aligned openings 42 in the socket mountingportion 32 and receives a pivot pin in the form of cooperating headedsleeve 44 and securing stud 46. It will be understood that when thesocket 30 is mounted on the bracket 34 it is capable of pivoting foreand aft on the sleeve 44, which has a generally horizontal axis.

On the casing 10, there is mounted a cam 48. As can best be seen inFigs. 3 and 4, the cam 48 is spaced from the socket 30 and projectshorizontally and rearwardly from the casing 10. The precisedispositional relationship of the cam and socket is determined by thedimensions of the wand latching structure, for it is necessary that thecam be located so that the latch button 22 will contact it when the wandis coupled to the socket 30 and the latter are jointly pivoted forwardlytoward the cam.

Within the socket 30, there is spaced a disk-like cushion 50 which ismade of a closed cellular rubber material or material having equivalentcompressive spring qualities. Adjacent to the cushion 50 is disposed adisk 52 which is loosely mounted within the socket 30, and which may bemade of a rigid material, such as metal. The parts are dimensioned sothat when the wand 16 is rigidly coupled to the socket 30, the cushion5G is compressed slightly, and the latch 26 extends through the opening28 in the wand and through an opening 54- in the socket 30. When in thisposition, the wand 16 is rigidly connected to the socket 3i) andmaintained in firmly latched condition by the cooperative action of thelatch 26 being disposed in the openings 28 and 54 in the wand andsocket, respectivewhen the wand 3 ly, and the compressed cushion of thesocket, and thereby firmly holding the parts n coupled relationship. Thewand is illustrated in its coupled position relative to socket 30 inFigs. 1 through 4. It will be understood that when in this coupledposition, the wand 16 may be utilized as a pushing handle for the vacuumcleaner casing It in that it may be used to push the vacuum cleanercasing on the wheels 12 over the floor surface S.

Let us assume that the vacuum cleaner has been utilized in one room in ahouse to vacuum clean in the normal manner and it is desired to cleananother one; at this time the vacuum cleaner is in the Fig. 6 condition.The vacuum cleaning tool T, which has just been used to vacuum clean inthe conventional manner, is uncoupled and removed, from the wand 16, andthe wand is inserted into the socket 30 to firmly couple it therein; itmay then be utilized as a pushing handle to propel the cleaner to thenext room. On arriving in the next room, it is desired to uncouple thewand from the socket in order that a vacuum cleaning tool, such as toolT, may be coupled to the free end of the Wand and a vacuum cleaningoperation performed.

In order to effect the uncoupling of the wand 16 from 50 urging the wandout the socket 30 in an eifortless manner and without requiring the userto stoop, the instant invention contemplates the joint pivoting of thecoupled wand and socket toward the vacuum cleaner casing until the latchbutton 22 contacts the cam 48, as illustrated in Fig. 3. On furtherjoint urging of the wand 16 and socket 30 toward the casing, the latchbutton 22 is forced inwardly relative to the wand against the bias oflatch spring 18, and the condition illustrated in Fig. 4 results;namely, that of retracting the latch 26 fully within the confines of thewand 16. At this point, the cushion 59, which was previously compressedwas coupled to the socket, releases some of its stored energy and forcesthe wand axially out of the socket. Of course, manual pulling of thewand out of the socket will further assist to remove the wandfully fromthe socket. When the wand is completely free of the socket, it may havea vacuum cleaning tool attached to it in a conventional manner.

Fig. 6, as mentioned above, shows the vacuum cleaner after the wand hasbeen withdrawn from the socket and has had a cleaning tool T temporarilycoupled to its free end; it is generally understood how a cleaningoperation may be performed in a conventional manner when the vacuumcleaner is in the Fig. 6 condition, and that, if it is desired, othertypes of vacuum cleaning tools may be substituted for the illustratedvacuum cleaner floor tool T.

After vacuum cleaning is completed-and it is desired to move the vacuumcleaner to a new location, it is simply necessary to uncouple thecleaning tool from the wand 16 and to insert the free end of the wandinto the socket 30 as explained previously. A particularly facile mannerof coupling the wand to the socket is to first move the socket to itsforward position (as illustrated in Figs. 3 and 4), and then to insertthe Wand into the socket with the latch button 22 oriented to contactthe cam 48 on subsequent insertion. As insertion continues, the latchbutton 22 contacts and rides down the curved surface of the cam 48, andthis results in retracting the latch 26 into the wand. When the tubecontacts the disk 52, further insertion of the Wand results incompressing the cushion 50. This operation continues until the latch 26snaps through the opening 54 in the socket, at which time the wand issecurely coupled to the socket.

As will be evident from the foregoing description, certain aspects of myinvention are not limited to the particular details of construction ofthe example illustrated, and I contemplate that various and othermodifications and applications will occur to those skilled in the art.It is, therefore, my intention that the appended claims shall cover suchmodifications and applications as do not depart from the true spirit andscope of my invention.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the UnitedStates is:

1. A vacuum cleaner comprising: a casing; wheel means for moving saidcasing over a floor surface; a rigid wand having latch means at one ofits ends for detachably receiving vacuum cleaning tools or for beingdetachably secured to said casing; means on said casing for detachablyreceiving said wand for effecting a temporarly pushing handle; said lastnamed means being pivotal and including means for cooperating with saidwand latch means of effect a connection between said wand and said wandreceiving means; and a surface on said casing spaced from said wandreceiving means and located for selectively cooperating with said Wandlatch means and said wand receiving means when they are connected andpivoted toward said surface until contact therewith is made to effectdisconnection of said wand from said wand receiving means.

,2. A device as defined in claim 1 wherein said wand latch meansincludes a depressible latch button; and said surface is located so asto contact said latch button when said wand is connected to said wandreceiving means and said wand and wand receiving means are jointlypivoted toward said surface, whereby on contact of said latch button andsaid surface, said latch button is depressed and unlatches theconnection.

3. A device as defined in claim 1 wherein said wand includes a tubularend; said latch means is mounted at .said tubular end and comprises alatch and a latch button that protrudes through openings in said tubularend; and said latch and said latch button are resiliently mounted forjoint movement, whereby said latch and said 'latch button may be jointlyretracted within said tubular end by forcing either said latch or saidlatch button inwardly, and wherein said latch receiving means comprisesa pivotal socket which is adapted to receive said tubular end andincludes an inner end which supports a resilient cushion; said pivotalsocket has an opening spaced from said cushion; and said socket openingis spaced from said cushion a distance slightly less than the distancefrom said latch to the free edge of said tubular end, whereby on fullinsertion of said tubular end into said socket, said latch projectsthrough said socket opening and said cushion is compressed and therebyurges the parts together and firmly connects said wand and said socket,and wherein said surface is located so as to contact said latch buttonwhen the coupled wand and socket are jointly pivoted toward saidsurface, whereby on such contact the latch button is forced into theWand, resulting in both the latch and latch button being retracted unilthe latch clears the socket opening, at which time the cushion urges thewand out of the socket.

Penfold Aug. 1, 1950 Shalvoy et a1. Nov. 13, 1956

